Malcolm Marshall - one of the greatest fast bowlers

by A.C. de Silva

November 4th 1999 the West Indies - the crackerjack team in that period of time "lost" one of their ace pace bowlers, when death took away Malcolm Marshall at the age of 41. He was considered one of the greatest fast bowlers of all times.

Even in the formidable line-up of West Indies whose speed and ferocity dominated world cricket for a long period of time coming into the 20th century, Marshall stood out - he allied sheer pace to consistent excellence for longer than anyone else.

He was relentlessly professional and determined and he was also the best batsman of the group, coming nearer than any recent West Indian to being an allrounder of the quality of Gary Sobers. Though batsmen feared him, he was exceptionally popular among his peers and his death was mourned throughout the cricket world, but his fellow professionals, who knew him best, were most deeply affected.

He came to the West Indies side for the tour of India in 1978-79, as many first-choice West Indian stars were unavailable having committed themselves to playing World Series Cricket.

Despite doing little of note in the three Tests he played on that tour, he did take 37 wickets in all first-class games, and Hampshire saw enough in him to take him on as their overseas player for 1979.

He was in West Indies' World Cup squad, but did not play a match in the tournament. Marshall came to prominence in 1980, when in the third Test against England at Old Trafford he accounted for Mike Gatting, Brian Rose and Peter Willey in short order to spark an England collapse, although the match was eventually drawn.

After 1980/81 he was out of the Test side for two years, but an

excellent 1982 season when he took 134 wickets at under 16 apiece, including a career-best 8 for 71 against Worcestershire, saw him recalled and thereafter he remained a fixture until the end of his international career.

Most productive - 33 wickets vs India

In seven successive Test series from 1982/83 to 1985/86, he took 21 or more wickets each time, in the five of them averaging under 20.

His most productive series in this period was the 1983/84 rubber against India, when he claimed 33 wickets as well as averaging 34 with the bat and making his highest Test score of 92 at Kanpur - a few months later he took five in an innings twice at home against Australia.

By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7 for 53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings.

He also came out to bat at number 11 in West Indies' first innings despite his injury, allowing his team to gain a further psychological advantage as Larry Gomes completed an unbeaten century (Marshall batted one-handed that day).

In 1984/85 he had another successful series at home against New Zealand although there were calls for his bouncers to be ruled as intimidatory beyond what was acceptable, and that Marshall should have been admonished by the umpires.

However, Marshall succeeded in swinging the ball in both directions. He also used an in-swinging yorker as well as developing an effective leg-cutter, and with the exception of the 1986/87 New Zealanders, against whom he could only manage nine wickets at 32.11, no side seemed to have an answer to him.

1988 saw his career-best Test performance of 7 for 22 at Old Trafford, and he ended the series with 35 wickets at 12.65. Marshall was coming towards the end of his international career, moreover, and though he took 11 wickets in the match against India at Port of Spain the following winter, he played his last Test at the Oval in 1991. His final Test wicket - his 376th was that of Graham Gooch.

Final appearance - World Cup 1992

Marshall's final appearance for West Indies came in One-Day International cricket-the 1992 World Cup. However, in his five matches in the tournament, he took just two wickets, both in the penultimate game against South Africa at Christchurch.

This was the only time Marshall played for West Indies against South Africa in his career, though he played provincial cricket for Natal in both 1992/93 and 1993/94. Whilst playing at Natal, his experience was invaluable, and his guidance was an influential spark in the early career of Shaun Pollock.

In the present day, Shaun Pollock attributes much of his success to his menter, Marshall.

Struck with cancer

In 1996, Marshall become coach both of Hampshire and the West Indies, although the latter's steadily declining standards during the period under review brought a considerable amount of criticism his way.

In 1999, during the World Cup it was revealed that Marshall had colon cancer. He immediately left his coaching job to begin treatment, but this was ultimately unsuccessful he returned to his home town, where he died, weighing little more than 25 kgs.

The Malcolm Marshall Memorial cricket games are also played in Handworth Park, Birmingham.

The entrance road to Hampshire's ground-the Rosebowl is called Marshall Drive in memory of Marshall and another West Indian Hampshire great Roy Marshall.